The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-10-07
THAT kALALAu MISSION AND LEPEh
SEGREGATION.

WIZ COulIOl VIC baHShNSi hOhiN
they condescend to inform Won
dering and inquisitive public who is
to pay the cost of that expedition if
it is not to be charged to the Board
of Health, or to the Interior Depart
ment, or to Public Works account?
Will Dr.. Emerson pay the bill out
of his own pocket? Has Minister
Thurston opened a vein of public
generosity and is he to furnish the
money! Or will Mr.. Rowell be
called upon to put up the coin in
consideration of his recent rapid
promotion?
To put such questions is to answer
them in the negative. Nobody ex-
poets these gentlemen to pay the
expense of the Kalalau mission out
of their own pockets. 1t was under
taken ostensibly in the public in
terest, but it was wholly unneces-
sary expedition nevertheless. Then
how is the cost of this junketing to
appear? The Gazette" intimates
that it won't appear at all in the
public accounts, which shows that
its patrons are skilful manipulators
of figures.
But the expense of the trip is
mere by play. The policy under
lying it is of much greater conse-
quence. The Gazette" intimated
that it was undertaken at the re-
quest of influential foreign residents
of Kauai, who wanted to establish a
leper settlement at Kalalau for that
island and Niihau. The truth of
this statement being questioned, in
deed denied by persons who are in
a position to know the facts, would
would the "Gazette," or any of the
junketing trio, publish the memo
rial or authority for such statement?
If it is not true that such q re-
quest came from the leading pro-
perty owners of Kauai, then what
was the purpose of the expedition?
Was it not to throw dust in the
eyes of the public regarding the
policy of complete leper segregation
to which the present Government is
pledged? 1t has failed to carry out
this policy; it probably wanted an
excuse to drop it, and this local
segregation dodge was resorted to
for that purpose. This is how it
appears to an inquiring public, and
impertinent curiosity confidently
puts the question, "Isn't it so?"
Discussion was invited on the
subject by the Gazette. This
discussion would divert the public
mind, 1t was hoped, from the main
issue, and thus blind it TO the fact
that President Emerson and Min
ister Thurston are following in the
steps of President Gibson and Min
lister Aholo so far as leper manage
ment is concerned. This may be
sound policy but it is not what the
country expects. One of the
strongest indictments in the old
Gazette" against the Gibson re-
gime was, that leper segregation had
been Systematically neglected. The
world was informed that it was I'M
safe to come to Honolulu on account
of the number of lepers to be met
with everywhere; and at least one
of the memorials addressed to the
foreign representatives. by their
compatriots here contained, as
reason for foreign intervention, this
specific charge about lepers and
leprosy.
The present Government took
office under conditions which render
the complete segregation of lepers a
matter of public duty. 1t cannot
be shirked by Ministers. The issue
cannot be lodged by such trans
parent humbug as the Kalalau jun
keting mission. Mr.. Thurston is
far too shrewd a man not to under
stand this, and one is therefore
curious to know what he and his
colleagues are going to do about it.
1t may break up family ties and
raise storm about their ears, but
having taken tickets by the Limited
Lightning Leper Segregation Gov
eminent train they are bound to go
to the terminus. Leprosy is not
less contagious with Mr.. Green
premier and DR.. Emerson presi-
dent of the Board of Health, than it
was with Mr.. Gibson premier and
president of that board. Divided
official responsibility does not lessen
the risk of contagion from that dis
ease.
The public still waits to be told
who made the road to Kalalau along
which the mail carrier travels.
Would Mr.. Rowell or DR.. Emerson
tell the exact area of that mythical
seventy-five acres of land which
they found under cultivation in
Kalalau valley, not to mention an
additional seventy-five acres of taro
land in the clouds? That quantity
of taro land if cultivated would feed
5000 people, but it isn't at Kalalau.
Where is it? CURIOSITY,
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